Groundwater Depletion and Groundwater Balance Studies of Kandivalasa T River Sub Basin, Vizianagaram District, Andhra Pradesh, India ⁎ Y
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Groundwater for Sustainable Development 6 (2018) 71–78 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Groundwater for Sustainable Development journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/gsd Groundwater depletion and groundwater balance studies of Kandivalasa T River Sub Basin, Vizianagaram District, Andhra Pradesh, India ⁎ Y. Siva Prasad , B. Venkateswara Rao Centre for Water Resources, Institute of Science and Technology, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Hyderabad, Hyderabad 500085, India ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Keywords: The Kandivalasa River Sub Basin near Cheepurupalli town of Vizianagaram district, Andhra Pradesh, India was Eastern ghats of India monitored for groundwater levels at 41 observation wells during 2013–2015. Along with groundwater levels, the Groundwater depletion daily rainfall data is also collected for these years. A continuous decrease in groundwater levels was observed Recharge structures during the study period more particularly in the year 2015 which also had minimum rainfall. Groundwater depletion is observed mostly in the Eastern and South Western part of the basin where pumping wells are more. Groundwater balance studies have indicated that 11.3 MCM of groundwater can be utilized in the basin an- nually. However, the net annual groundwater draft has been found to be 16.6 MCM. Hence, over abstraction of 5.66 MCM is the main cause for depletion of groundwater levels. The water conservation and groundwater recharge measures have to be taken up at Chinnanadipally and Dummeda villages in the basin to have sus- tainable groundwater utilization in the basin. 1. Introduction the natural recharge and its relation with aquifer parameters near Tu- ticorin Town, Tamilnadu, India. Varalakshmi et al. (2014) have studied India is currently the world's largest consumer of groundwater, the groundwater recharge studies by using GEC-1997 guidelines in the withdrawing more than double the amount of groundwater drawn by Osmansagar and Himayathsagar catchment areas which are comprised the USA (Shah, 2005). Over the years, increasing dependence on of basaltic and granitic terrains respectively in the Telangana State. The groundwater has created imbalance in the groundwater availability and study has concluded that the percent rainfall converting to the long term withdrawal is exceeding long term recharge, leading to the groundwater recharge is nearly 22% in the basin. Khadri and Moharir depletion of groundwater level. Since agriculture is the main occupa- (2015) have analyzed the seasonal groundwater fluctuations with re- tion in the study area which is Kandivalasa River Sub Basin (KRSB) near ference to the rainfall received by the Man River Basin, Maharashra, Cheepurupalli town of Vizianagaram district, Andhra Pradesh, India, India. The study also interpreted that the high level extraction of the farmers are mainly dependent on groundwater for irrigation in non- groundwater during non-monsoon period for irrigation purpose is monsoon period (November to May). To meet the challenges of de- causing groundwater fluctuation in the study area. pleting groundwater levels and thereby drying up of bore wells in the The main objective in this study is to evaluate the existing non-monsoon season, the management and development of ground- groundwater resources and stage of development (percentage of re- water resources is essential in the study area. Hence, it is very im- newable groundwater utilized annually) in the Kandivalasa River Sub- portant to know about the extent of natural recharge occurring to the Basin by using Groundwater Estimation Committee (GEC) methodology aquifer of the region. Moreover, the groundwater recharge estimation is (GEC, 1997). For sustainable development of water resources, it is a key component in groundwater flow or transport models. imperative to make quantitative estimation of the available water re- Satish Chandra and Saksena (1975), Athavale et al. (1992), Kumar sources. These studies can be useful for overall development of the and Seethapathi (2002) have carried out groundwater balance studies basin on sustainable basis. and quantified groundwater resources in various hard rock regions of India. Naga Rajani et al. (2006), have used remote sensing and GIS 2. Hydrogeology of the study area techniques for groundwater exploration and identification of artificial recharge sites in Kurmapalli watershed in Nalgonda and Ranga Reddy Kandivalasa River Sub-Basin (KRSB) (Fig. 1) near Chipurupally districts of Telangana, India. Rangarajan et al. (2009) have estimated town of Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh, India, is covered with ⁎ Corresponding author. E-mail address: [email protected] (Y.S. Prasad). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsd.2017.11.003 Received 5 March 2017; Received in revised form 13 November 2017; Accepted 21 November 2017 2352-801X/ © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Y.S. Prasad, B.V. Rao Groundwater for Sustainable Development 6 (2018) 71–78 Fig. 1. Location of Kandivalasa River Sub Basin in the Vizianagaram District. a typical khondalitic suite of rocks and is situated between east long- Statistics department. The monsoon rainfall is estimated for each itudes 83°32′15" to 83°39′10" and north latitudes of 18°9′15" to mandal (Table 1). The seasonal changes of groundwater levels of all the 18°19'54" having an areal extent of 121 km2 is selected for this study. It individual wells are carefully observed from the year 2013–2015. The forms a part of Survey of India toposheet nos. 65 N/11 and 65N/12. In analysis of depletion of groundwater levels during this period has been general the area is covered by a thick soil cover (1–4 m) followed by carried out in the basin by using well census data and rainfall data weathered and fractured khondalitic formation underlain by basement (Nandargi et al., 2014) of the basin. The groundwater fluctuation map of granite gneiss. The area is highly disturbed due to folding, faulting (Chyan-Deng et al., 2007) is prepared for the year 2015 using SURFER and fracturing with isolated hills covered by khondalitic rocks on the software. top and lateritic soils on the sides (Fig. 2). Occasionally quartz veins are In order to find out the causes for the groundwater depletion sce- seen exposed to surface often serving as guide to locate high yielding nario in the basin, the groundwater recharge, the groundwater ab- wells. The topography of the area is undulating. At all locations be- straction and the groundwater balance in the basin are estimated by tween hills there is a high slope in the foot hill region and a gentle slope using GEC-1997 guidelines (Kumar, 2012). The stage of the ground- towards the valley (Fig. 3). water development is calculated (Sitender and Rajeshwari, 2015) and Frequently small plateaus are also observed. The average annual finally the groundwater recharge areas and pumping areas are identi- rainfall is around 1000 mm. Groundwater occurs under water table fied with the help of groundwater flow maps (Singhal and Gupta, conditions in the weathered portion of the khondalite. The fact that the 2010). raise of water level in the bore well after penetrating the fractured environment and drying up of nearby open wells due to pumpage of bore wells, demonstrate that the weathered and fractured environment 3.1. Water-table fluctuation method are hydraulically connected. Therefore, the fractured environment is under semi confining conditions (Venkateswara Rao and Briz Kishore, The study of groundwater level fluctuations helps to understand the 1991). depletion and recharging conditions of an aquifer. Physical-based techniques like water-table fluctuation method have traditionally and widely been used more than chemical based techniques for estimating 3. Methods groundwater recharge in semiarid regions (Healy and Cook, 2002). The groundwater recharge has been calculated by using Water Table Fluc- The groundwater levels of the 41 observation wells covering entire tuation method (WTF method) as per methodology recommended by Kandivalasa River Sub Basin are monitored for both pre and post Groundwater Estimation Committee (GEC, 1997). The water table monsoon seasons of 2013, 2014 and 2015 (Plate 1). The GPS survey has fluctuation method is based on distinct changes in seasonal (pre and been done at all the observation wells. Groundwater contour maps in post monsoon) groundwater levels. Among the physical methods, the the basin are also prepared by using SURFER software (Oseji Julius, water-table fluctuation method links the change in groundwater storage 2011) to know the direction of groundwater flow. The daily rainfall with resulting water table fluctuations through the storage parameter data of five mandals (an administrative unit within a district) namely (i.e., specific yield in unconfined aquifer). Cheepurupally, Garividi, Nellimarla of Vizianagaram district and Ra- The WTF method is based on the recharge effect, i.e. the rise of the nastalam and Laveru mandals of Srikakulam district covering entire water table due to previous rainfall. Careful analysis of the records basin is also collected from Andhra Pradesh State Economics and enables the exclusion of variations in the water table due to fluctuations 72 Y.S. Prasad, B.V. Rao Groundwater for Sustainable Development 6 (2018) 71–78 Fig. 2. Geology map of the Kandivalasa River Sub Basin (Venkateswara Rao and Briz Kishore, 1991). in climate and anthropogenic activities (pumping, irrigation, land use, Groundwater Recharge=× Geographical area Specific Yield etc.) (Healy and Cook, 2002). The WTF method is based